Playful pathways that cater to children and families offer many benefits. They promote health, the value of play, and the need to be inclusive of all people. In addition, they support engagement with nature, environmental learning, walkable and bikeable community connectivity, and growth of social capital. As populations increase and urban development continues, pathways will play a critical role as community assets, and designing them with children and families in mind is an important priority.

Research reveals a strong link between children's experiences of nature and their psychological well being and overall development. PlayCore's Nature Play Funding Guide is specifically designed for communities that are planning, retrofitting, or creating naturalized play environments. This resource provides an overview of funding sources that can potentially help intentionally integrate child-friendly play material with your manufactured equipment not only increase the aesthetic beauty of the playspace, but increase physical activity levels of the users, enhance play value, and increase environmental sustainability. By incorporating the best practices outlined in our NatureGrounds Program, communities can open doors for funding options, partnerships, and community social capital.

PlayCore’s overview of potential funding sources is designed for communities that are planning, revitalizing, and/or building inclusive playground projects. By incorporating PlayCore’s seven principles of inclusive playground design, you can create universally designed play environments that increase “playability” for people of diverse abilities, ages, races, genders, ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic levels. In addition, including inclusive play principles into your planning can increase your eligibility for grants and other forms of funding.